Walden: Is FCC Delaying Net Rule Repeal?

Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), chairman of the House Communications Subcommittee, Thursday pondered whether the timetable of the release of the FCC's network neutrality regs was an effort to delay challenges to them in court or Congress, which were/are triggered by their publication in the Federal Register.

"I'm curious as to why it's taken the FCC so long to file their network neutrality rules in the Federal Register," he said Thursday. "It's not that I'm eager to have their rules proceed, but it does raise some questions. Is the delay because of a failure to meet all of the procedural requirements? Or is the delay a means to slow a repeal vote in the U.S. Senate or challenges in court?"

Walden is pushing House passage of a resolution to invalidate the rules. A House vote is tentatively scheduled for Friday.

"There is no delay," said an FCC spokesman in answer to Walden's statement. "The Order quite simply is going through the normal process for clearing Paperwork Reduction Act requirements before being published in the Federal Register."

Ironically, it is Congress that is arguably delaying the rule's challenge, since the Paperwork Reduction Act requires OMB vetting of the portions of the rules that require new paperwork, which has pushed their publication in the register to no sooner than mid-May.